Back lighting is the conventional method of lighting liquid crystal displays. Many backlit liquid crystal displays require a multiple number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) to provide a sufficient amount of light across the display and potentially other parts of a product. For instance, a version of Motorola's Silverlink.TM. CT-2 cordless phone handset presently uses discretely placed LEDs in both a liquid crystal display area to specifically illuminate the liquid crystal display area and between keys within a keypad to back light surrounding keys in a translucent keypad area. Use of many LEDs can cause an undue amount of current drain in portable electronic products. Additionally, backlit displays typically require intricate light pipes to provide further flooding across the plane of the liquid crystal displays. And, a protective lens that covers the liquid crystal display only has a limited purpose of protecting the liquid crystal display. Thus, there are redundant parts in conventional illuminated displays. Therefore, a need exists for a front lighted display that can also provided flood lighting and can reduce the number of parts required for lighting a liquid crystal display and other parts of a product such as a keypad.